Method of and means for repairing dental bridgework



J. H. MOYER 1,833,720

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR REPAIRING DENTAL BRIDGEWORK Nov. 24,1931.

Filed Dec. 4, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' J. H. MOYER Nev. 24, 1931.

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR REPAIRING DENTAL BRIDGEWORK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Fil'ed Dec. 4, 1930 Patented Nov. 24, 1931 O F C JAMES H. MOYER, orconumnus; 01110,, nssIeNon To THE Commas DENTAL MANU- 'IIACTURINGCOMPANY, 01' commnus, 01110, A CORPORATION METHOD or AND MEANS FORREPAIRING DENTAL nnrnenwonx Application filed December Thisinventionrelates' to a method of and means forrepairing dentalbridgework, and particularly to a methodof and means for repairing orreplacing a broken post on a BTrupontic or like tooth bridge'withoutremoving the bridge from the mouth of the 1 wearer. a v

Many'fixed bridges are now placed in the I mouth With cast inlayabutments, which make iit very diflicult to remove the bridge in theevent Of'POSi' or, tooth breakagewithout destroying abutments. a

One object of my invention isto provide a simp1e,*reliableand'eflicient' method of replacing a broken post one backing or bridgewithout the necessity'of removing the bridge from the mouth, or ofdisturbing the abutments, andwhich method may be employed by a dentistwithout discomfort to the patient.

1 'Another object of the invention is to provide a substitute postmemberadapted to be 'applied to take the'place of the original post,

and'a jig for use'in properly and accurately forming in the bridge orbacking a seat for 'the substitute post, whereby such seat formformed. i

' ing operation may be easily and quickly per- The' invention comprisesa novel method fand f'a novel construction and combination of'partsforcarrying theinventlon into prac- 'ticaliefl 'ect, as hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed, reference being bad to the accom pa-nyingdrawings, in which:

' aFig. 1 is a side elevationof a type of'tooth J and 'abacking orbridge of the character described embodying my invention. I

v Fig. 2 .is a rear perspective view of the tooth removed from thebacking or bridge. I Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the repaired bridgeor backing'as it appears prior to'the application Ofth tooth.

' Fig. ll is 'a front to"rear-section through the backing or bridgeandthe tooth. applied ret -f a. 1 A

Figib is a section on" line of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a View ofthe;staple-shaped"repair or replacement 'postfon an enlarged .,-sea1e.;-

Fig. 7 is a seCtion thro gh the backing 0-; bridge with the rep jigapplied thereto 4,1930. Serial No. 500,116.

showing thebridge priorto the first working step of the repair method. II

Y *ig. 8 is a similar view showing the backing or bridge at thecompletion of the first working step.

Figs. 9 and 10 are views of the jig. Referring now more particularly tothe drawings, 1 is a tooth of the characterdescribed, having a facing 2,a root portion 3, and a lingual overhung portion 1', which portion 4'is'p-rovided with a bearing face 5'arrangedat an obtuse or other"suitable angle to the lingual bearing face 6 of the facing 2, theincisal edge of saidfacing being indicated at 7. The tooth portion 4 isprovided with a post bore or hole 8 intersecting a slot 9 openingthrough the face 5, which post hole extends from-the lingual side of thepart4 to a point beyond'the lingual side of the facing 2 at'its point ofintersection with the face 5, but terminates short of the labial side ofsaid facing. The post hole and slot extend throughout parallel with eachother and with the face 5. I e 1 -The tooth 1 isadapted to be mountedupon "a' bac-king or bridge 10, which may be of any suitable form incross-section, but which, in the form shown, isof triangularcross-section and provided with a lingual face 11 and two labial toothbear-ing faces 12 and 13, said faces 12 and13 being disposed'in the sameangular relation'ship'as the faces 5 and 6 of the tooth, which faces 5and 6 of the tooth are adaptedto rest respectively against the faces 12and 13 of thebridge or backing when the tooth is applied thereto. Theface 12 of the bridge or backing'is commonly provided with a postformedthereon and shaped to fit and interlock with the hole 8 and slot 9of the tooth part 4. For the purpose of this inven- --tion,- it isassumed that the original'po'stis broken away or damaged and has beenreplaced by:a repair or replacement post 14 constructed in accordancewith. the: present invention. r r The repair or replacement post 14 ismade of gold or; other metal of suitable strength and durability andcomprises a U-sha-ped or 'staple like body having a pair of parallel'arms 15 and 16 and a, return bend or end portion 17 one of the arms 15serves as an ,anchor member to engage the bridge or backing and theother arm and the return bend or end portion 17 as an anchor for thetooth 1. To this end, one of the arms of the staplelike replacementpost, as the arm 15, is fitted in an opening 18 formedin the bridge orbacking between its faces 11 and 13 paral-' lel withv theface 12, whilethe othe'r arm 16 pro ects over the face 12 and forms'tli'epost" properwhich engages the bore or hole 8'in the tooth. 'The slot 9 obviouslypermits passage of the bend '17 and the sliding inter-f engagement ofthe post. and tooth. In order to adapt the post orstaple 14 to'befittedproperly in. position, and said post, and the tooth to be held againstany tendency to relative motionon the bridgexor. backing, the

backing is formed at the angle of intersection of its faces 12 and 13with a groove or recess 19 to receive a part of the return bend 1?, the

sides-of which bend 17are flattened, asshown, to engage said groove andthe post hole and slot in thewtooth andform a firmandnonrockingconnection between the same: The

,ends of the arms 15 and 16 when the tooth is applied lie flush with thelingual faces of the bridge and tooth, which latter is, in addition itosuchimechanicalconnection; cemented in position.) i I,

In the operation of making repairs when 7 a post is, broken and thetooth 1' detached, I

employ a repair jig 20 of the -construction Y ,shown-in'Figs. 7 to 10,inclusive. This jig comprises a substantially U-shape'dbracket or frameh'avinga'pair' of spaced parallel arms 21and 22 spaced at one end andatthe sides to form a bridge :receivingopening 23 and connectedat theother end by' a base or f 'cross'wall 24 having at the bottom ofthe',opening. 23:: toothbearingfl ;surface"25 ,in-'

clined to the plane of a tooth'beari-ng surface 26' formed by the innersurface of the arm 21.

;That. portion of the bracket or frameforming the arm 21 is bifurcatedto form a slot 27 .to engage the-rib 28 formed .by that-part of thebroken post left intact with the backing, whereby thelbracket or jig iscentered .in po- 2 sition,and saidarm and the adjacent part of Fill thebase'24 are cut away orvbev-eled 'tolprovide a;clearance groove 29'which is intersect- .llll

*edby said slotl Thearm .22 projects at its free end somewhat beyond'theplane of. the

free end of the arm 21, and'such en-dof. the

;arm 22 has its outer fa'celbeveledand the arm is formed with anangularly arranged threadedopening receiving a "correspondingly araranged cl'ampingscrew 30 provided with a pointedend so 'disposed as tohe immediately rearof the center of the arm 21. Formed in the part 2 1'is a guide bore or passage 31 extending in a plane parallel with theinner 7 face [of the arm 21' and communicatingat its inner end throughthe si'urface .25" with the v opening'123 adjacent the base of said arm.

' breakages in drilling thehard metal of thebridge is composed.

. I claim "'ing s'cr'c'wf30 in ebvious manner: A drill of suitable 8126to pass'through the guide open ng31 and to form thebore is inserted intothe guide opening 31, after a drop of oil has previously been insertedtherein, and operated by means'of a dental engine, while beingaccurately guided bythe opening 81, toform the post hole or opening 18inthe bridgeor backing, After thislpost hole 18 is formed, the jig 20 isdetached and then,

by means of a small engine operated bur or knife'eedged stone the,groove or recess 19 is cut in the backing; A'staple-shapedreplacementpost isthen applied in the manner previously described to the backing,the tooth l fitted and cemented inplace, and any project-ing portions ofthe armsof the replacement post ground off smooth atfthe back oftherepaired bridgework so as tolleavefno rough surfaces liable to causeinjury to the tongue. In practice t s advisable to em.

ploy aseries of generallythree drills of progressively; increasinglengths in forming the opening 18 in ordertofiobviate liability of drillwhich It will evident, from the foregoing description, taken inconnection with the drawings, that my invention provides a method and ameans whereby a dentistmay readily and conveniently substitute areplacement post; for a broken original-post bridgework of the characteidescribed without the necessity of removing the bridge. or disturbingits abutments, while 7 at the same time producing a repairj ob eq ual nstrength and appearance,-

:if not superionto the original'tooth mount- ,ing- Also it will be seenthat the invention 7 provides ainethod and means whereby such repairsmay be made without altering, the

construction of the tooth and with utQalter- F 7 ing the construction'ofthe bridge except n the slight manner indicated. H

' Modifications in theiconstruction of the replacement post and jig, andvariations in the method described, may be made, within the scope of theinvention as set forth in the appended claims, without departing fromthe spa-leer sacrificing any :of the advantages ofth'e invention. r v a7 Having thus fully desci i ed my invention,

11. The method 0f repairing dentalbridgework of that character having amechanical interlocking connection between the bridge x andtoothcomprisinga post upon'thejbridge to engage a post hole in the tooth,where the post is broken, without removal of the bridge or injury to itsabutments, which consists in I forming between the lingual and labialfaces of the bridge parallel with its post carrying face a bore,applying to the bridge a U- shaped replacement post by engagement of oneof its arms with said bore and so asto dispose its other arm over saidpost replacement face, and then fittingfa tooth upon the bridge andinto-engagement with said replacement post. 7 p V 2. The methodofrepairing dental bridgework of that character having a mechanicalinterlocking connection between the bridge and tooth comprisinga postupon the bridge to engage a post hole in the tooth, where the post isbroken, without removal'of the bridge or injury to its abutments, whichconsists in forming the bridge with a post receiving bore I extendingbetween its lingual and labial faces 7 V parallel with its post carryingface'together with a seat groove intersecting one end of said bore,fitting upon the bridge'a U-shaped replacement post having a flattenedreturn portion by fitting one of the arms of said post in said bore anddisposing the other arm of said post and its return portion so as torespectively overhang the post carrying face and recess of the bridge,and then fitting a tooth upon the bridge and into engagement I with saidreplacement post.

3. In dental bridgework, a bridge having a tooth bearing face and anopening extending between its lingual and labial surfaces ad jacent tosaid tooth bearing face, a U-shaped post having one of its arms engagedwith said opening and its other arm overhanging o'said bearing face, anda tooth fitted on the bridge and engaged with the latter-named arm ofthe pos 4. In dentalbridgework, a bridge having a tooth bearing face andan opening extending between its lingual and labial surfaces adjacent tosaid face, and also provided in a margin of said face with a grooveintersecting one end of said opening, a U-shaped post having one of itsarms engaged with said opening and its other arm overhanging saidbearing face and provided with a flattened return portion seated in saidgroove, and a tooth fitted on said bridge and having a post hole thereinreceiving the second-named arm and the flattened return portion'of saidpost. i In testimony whereof I aflix my signature,

JAMES H. MOYER.

